[Pat H]

Pat H, diagnosed with multiple myeloma in September 2017

by Pat H on Wed Jan 03, 2018 10:53 pm

Greetings to all;

I've been following this site for a while and wanted to thank those who have posted. When first diagnosed, it can be overwhelming, and the various postings here are invaluable. I would suspect there are numerous others like me who are coming here often (especially in the initial phase of understanding multiple myeloma), but are silent in posting.

My story is so similar to everyone else here. I had some back pain that wouldn’t go away. Went to my primary care physician, who did additional testing and blood work. Got the surprise when they called me back to the office to say they believe I have multiple myeloma, and I need to go to hospital immediately.

This occurred over Labor Day weekend 2017, and life has never been the same. Additional testing found five compound fractures in my lower back, kidney issues, and the multiple myeloma. The news shocked me, as I was very active and had a physical in January 2017 and got a clean bill of health.

The great news is the kidney issues was acute and corrected in two weeks, and the back fractures have been cured, although I still have back pain if I overdo it. The three-course myeloma treatments have worked to beat back the cancer, and my most recent lgG lambda gone from 6800 at diagnosis to a current level of 29.

Overall very positive, and the current recommended course of action (which I am following) is to complete initial treatment this month and then in February 2018 start the stem cell transplant process. Everyone around me is excited with my response thus far. The only real issue now is low energy from the treatment regimen and self-induced worrying about the long-term outlook.

This site has been great for researching what is involved with these various treatment and getting ready for the next phases. God willing, the stem cell transplant will take for an extended period of time.

[Mark Pouley]

Re: Pat H, diagnosed with multiple myeloma in September 2017

by Mark Pouley on Sat Jan 06, 2018 8:34 pm

Thank you for your introduction and "welcome" to the forum. It sounds as if you are achieving some early success in your treatment, and we all wish you the best. This site is a great resource for all multiple myeloma patients. There are many patients that have shared their autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) experiences in these pages and can be very helpful for you as you approach your own transplant in February. Continued good luck.

[dbsmithiii]

Re: Pat H, diagnosed with multiple myeloma in September 2017

by dbsmithiii on Mon Jan 22, 2018 11:28 am

Hi Pat,

I am only slightly ahead of you in the process. I wish you the best of luck in your treatment and look forward to hearing about your experience soon!

Doug